


Legally Blond

by mrbarbacarisi



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, Fluff, Getting Together, Harvard University, Legally Blonde, M/M, Movie: Legally Blonde (2001), Pre-Relationship, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-24
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-03-23 07:49:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13783026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mrbarbacarisi/pseuds/mrbarbacarisi
Summary: Sonny only applied to Harvard to spite an ex. But within his first year of law school, he would meet the love of his life.





	1. The Dare

**Author's Note:**

> I started working on this back in November and I'm finally getting around to posting it. This is just some fun rom-com fluff. Hope you enjoy!

“And just _what_  about me made you think I _wasn’t_  going to voice my opinion just because we’re in public?”

“I know you’re upset, but keep it down.”

Sonny shook his head. He was a nice person, but he was not a pushover. He wasn’t going to let this slide — no matter how rude he might seem. “Are you kidding me right now? You take me out to the nicest restaurant we have ever been to together and dump me before we even get to order appetizers?”

Arielle leaned forward, apologetic. Like her wide, sad eyes would make it all better. “Look, this isn’t about you. We’ve had fun. I’ve enjoyed our time together. But I need someone more serious.”

“I’m not serious enough for you?”

“Yeah. It’s your whole-” She gestured vaguely to his entire body.

“My what? I smile too much for you? Laugh too much for you? My accent too much for you?”

“Dominick.”

“I am a _police officer_. No, not only that, I’m a detective with the _Special Victims Unit_. And I will be going to law school. How do you get more serious than that?”

She sighed. “You’re not even going to a top ten school. You’re going to Fordham Law.”

“Oh, because _Harvard_  is so much better, huh?”

She had been bragging about being accepted to Harvard practically every day since she got her letter. Lording it over him. Like she did with her kale drinks and vegan recipes. He wasn’t even sure why she wanted to go to law school. Switching from journalism to the law was a big change out of nowhere.

“I don’t think you understand the pressure I’m under.”

“Don’t start that. Your family just despises the fact that I’m from Staten Island. And that I’m bi. I bet they’re behind your sudden desire for a career change too. Why don’t you stand up to them for once?”

She took in a breath and stared him down.

“This is it? _This_  is really how you want to end it?” He couldn’t believe this was how he was being dumped. When she had mentioned the restaurant, Sonny had considered popping the question. But she had beaten him to the punch. He was in love with her. He thought she felt the same way. Instead, it was a pity date. He definitely did not need her pity.

“I care for you. I do. But we’re just not compatible.”

“After _a year_ you figure that out? Why? Because I’m not Harvard material?”

“I don’t think you’d ever get into Harvard. But that’s not the point, Dominick.”

His eyebrows went up into his hairline. “So that’s how it is? A dumb cop can’t possibly come up to your level?” He stood, adjusted his tie, and glared at her. “Okay then. Watch me.”

 

* * *

 

Sonny started on his application to Harvard Law that night. He had a point to prove. He was a catch. Both in the dating scene and as a law student.

An experienced NYPD detective. Eagle Scout. Former president of Delta Sigma Honor Society. Varsity baseball pitcher. Current treasurer of the LGBT New York Police Officer’s Association. And a 4.0 GPA. None of that was including his LSAT scores, recommendation letters, or even his essay.

There was no way Harvard would look at his application and deny him or waitlist him. He was getting in. And he was going to shove it in Arielle’s stupid face.

He sent the application and forgot about it. He went back to work, anticipating his classes at Fordham in the fall. He had been accepted the year before, but deferred enrollment after he was transferred to SVU. He wanted to learn the new job without having the extra stress of first-year law classes on his plate.

Then, a few months later, he received a big, fat, shiny envelope from Harvard. That only meant one thing: he was in. And he had even received a hefty scholarship for his efforts. Suddenly, he was considering actually _attending_  Harvard Law.

“I thought Harvard was too far away though,” Bella said when he told her about the application.

He was sitting at the table while his sister prepared dinner. Sonny preferred to help his host cook, but he and Bella butted heads a little too much in the kitchen. After the Great Cooking Fiasco of 2009, she had banned him from helping in any capacity whatsoever. So now he just wistfully watched her chop bell peppers from across the counter.

“It’s not _that_  far,” he countered. “Not nearly as far as Stanford.”

“Oh, come on. You were never going to Stanford.”

“Seriously, Bella. One big reason why Harvard was out was because it’s really expensive. But this scholarship is more than I could have hoped for.”

She gave him a hard look. “Don’t lie to me, Sonny. The real reason you want to go is to show up Arielle.”

He sighed. She was right. Maybe his ego was getting in the way. But he wanted this. Sonny had been accepted to an Ivy _League_  university. He couldn’t just turn that down. “Is that such a bad thing? I mean, it’s _Harvard_.”

“Yeah, sure.” She set aside the peppers and started on the other vegetables. Without wiping down her chopping board. Sonny bit his tongue to avoid commenting on it. “But you’d have to enroll full time there, right? What about work? Didn’t you just get that big promotion?”

“I can probably transfer to a unit down there, if I wanted. Get some part-time work. If CPD won’t take me, I can get a security job on the side or something. But that doesn’t matter. I have plenty saved to live on for now.”

“Sounds like you’re talking yourself into it, Sonny.”

He shrugged. Maybe he was. But it was still Harvard.

“No one’s stopping you from going. Ma and Pops will be very proud. But just make sure it’s what _you_  want, okay?” She pointed her knife at him as she spoke. “I don’t want my brother down in Massachusetts _and_  unhappy.”

“If I don’t like it after a year, I can just transfer to Fordham. No harm done. One-Ls have to take all the same classes anyway, regardless of the school.”

“Okay. Well then, sounds like you have a plan.”

 

* * *

 

That fall, Sonny moved to Cambridge, Massachusetts. He strode onto Harvard’s campus like he belonged there. Because he did. He couldn’t wait to see Arielle face-to-face again. Not even an hour into his first day, he got his wish. Sonny almost collided with her in the hallway.

“Oh, hi.” Sonny smiled. “I totally forgot you go here.”

She frowned. “Sonny? What are you doing here? Are you here to see me?”

“You really think I would come all the way down to Massachusetts to see you?” he scoffed. “ _I_ go here.”

Her eyes widened. “You got into Harvard Law?”

He put his hands on his hips. “What? Like it’s hard?”

Arielle looked like she was going to try to contradict him, so he cut her off.

“I have to get to class. See you around.” Sonny smiled again and brushed past her toward the lecture hall.

His first class was with the former honorable Elana Barth. She was a retired New York state court judge. From what Sonny had heard, she was one of the most lenient professors in the entire program. Lenient as in she was kind when she kicked you out for not reading the material. But Sonny always took his assignments seriously. He was extremely prepared for that first class.

Until he got kicked out for being _too_  prepared. Wasn’t classroom participation strongly encouraged in law school?

What made it worse was Arielle looking down her nose at him. Of course, she would be the perfect kiss ass and agree with the professor’s assessment of his attitude. She always held grudges. And now he was on her list. He wasn’t sure if it was because of how he reacted to the break-up or that he had actually appeared at Harvard — and effectively ruined her plans. Probably both.

And despite what Barth said, he had not actually been mocking anyone in class. Sometimes his exuberance got the best of him. First impressions were never his strong suit. So much for having a perfect first day.

Sonny sighed as he sank down on a bench in a small courtyard outside to wait for his next class. He sat quietly for the bulk of the time, going over his notes from the reading. But he must have been making noise because, after about thirty minutes, a voice startled him.

“Maybe you should invest in a laptop, so you can avoid annoying people by flipping pages.”

He looked over at the source, squinting against the sunlight. A man sat on another bench near him. He was sharply dressed in a three-piece suit and a bright pink tie. A book laid open across his lap.

“Yeah but then you’d probably be annoyed by my rapid typing,” Sonny said.

He laughed, green eyes twinkling. “Probably. You’re a law student?”

“Yeah.”

The man glanced at his watch. His other hand held a coffee cup. “Didn’t the semester start today? Shouldn’t you be in class?”

“Supposed to be,” he muttered. “But turns out you can get kicked out even for being _too_  talkative.”

He cocked his head. “You have Barth, don’t you?”

“Yeah. How did you know?”

“She only retired and took up teaching a couple years ago. I’ve argued in her court many times. She dislikes heated discourse. You have to present your arguments calmly and clearly. And don’t even think about interrupting someone else.”

“Okay. Thanks.” He _had_  been a bit heated when he was arguing with Arielle about subject matter jurisdiction. His emotions had gotten the best of him. He was so desperate to beat her that he probably sounded disrespectful. He would be more careful next time.

“Who else do you have?”

“Why are you asking?” His cop senses were tingling. Maybe this man wanted something from him. It wouldn’t be the first time an older man tried to get into his pants with a few favors. While he didn’t seem the type, no one could ever be too sure of anything.

He shrugged, fiddling with his coffee. “You want to pass up free help?”

Then again, they were out in broad daylight in the middle of a university campus. He had just sat next to him for about a half hour with no incident. The chances of anything untoward happening were slim. “Guess not. I have Callahan, Royalton, and Levinthal.”

“Well, Callahan actually likes opinions and arguments in his class so don’t be afraid to speak up there.”

Sonny nodded. That wouldn’t be a problem.

“Don’t sit in the front with Royalton,” he continued. “He tends to spit when he talks about products liability.”

He laughed. “Okay.”

“And Levinthal…I can’t believe he’s still around. He’s ancient. Read the footnotes. That’s where he pulls a lot of his exam questions.”

“Wow. Really?” Sonny knew Harvard was going to be difficult, but it seemed like Levinthal was just _trying_  to get on his students’ nerves. “Thank you. That’ll help a bunch.”

He chuckled. “You were not sarcastic at all there, were you?”

“Nope. I don’t use it that often.” Except with certain exes, but Arielle deserved it.

“Well good. Because Barth hates that too.”

“Really. Thanks. Are you an adjunct professor or something?”

He smirked again. “Or something.”

Sonny opened his mouth to ask more questions, but suddenly Arielle was standing in front of him.

“Hi, Dominick,” she said brightly. As if she weren’t interrupting. She probably didn’t care she was being rude.

“Hi,” he replied, mostly out of habit. He really didn’t want to stop talking to this weirdly helpful stranger.

But that was when the man stood to leave, his book tucked under his arm. “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Sonny grinned at him. “And thanks for the advice.”

He _smiled,_ shook his head, and then walked away. Sonny wanted to watch him go, but Arielle caught his attention again.

“I want you to meet someone, Dominick.”

He frowned. “Okay…”

Another man walked toward them. He was tall, well-built with brown hair and a light summer tan. Arielle turned and smiled at him. He took her left hand, which sparkled in the sunlight. A big diamond sat on her right finger. How had he missed that before? She was engaged. To someone new. After less than a year. This shouldn’t hurt as much as it did.

“This is Warner,” she introduced. “Warner, this is Dominick.”

“Oh. _The_ Dominick,” he said, looking him over. Like he was competition.

“Yeah. Nice to meet you,” Sonny replied. He wasn’t sure why he had tolerated Arielle calling him by his first name during their entire relationship. It was fine for acquaintances, but not close friends or significant others. He had believed he was in love with her, but the further he moved away from their relationship, the more he realized how imbalanced it was.

“I’ve known him since childhood,” Arielle continued. “We met up again this past summer at the country club and just hit it off. Didn’t we, Warner?” He nodded, smiling at her. “And just a couple weeks ago, he proposed. Of course, I said yes. I’m going to be a Vanderbilt, can you believe it? Did you see the ring, Dominick? Isn’t it gorgeous?”

She held out her hand for him to inspect. He honestly had no idea what she hoped to gain from this conversation. Was this just another thing she was trying to hold over his head? _She_  had broken up with _him_. She had no reason to prove that she had moved on. But here she was, trying to make him compliment and congratulate her on her new engagement. To a Vanderbilt. What a trophy husband.

“I definitely see it now,” he said, glancing down at it. “Pretty ring. Congratulations. You two are perfect for each other.”

“Thanks,” she gushed, but her smile faltered slightly. What did she expect? He wasn’t going to act like some petty teenager. He was more mature than that. More mature than her, apparently. Warner had his hands full. This new development wasn’t going to make him suddenly leave Harvard. Sonny wasn’t here for her. He was here for himself.

“Look, I have to go. I’ll catch up with you later?”

“Sure.”

Sonny walked away from them. He tried not to focus too much on Arielle’s passive-aggressive bragging. _I’ve moved on and so should you._  As if he had followed her here. No. He won. He beat her expectations. He was enrolled at Harvard Law. He was better than her. And he had all five sections every day to prove it.


	2. The Gunner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonny becomes one of the best students in class, but almost every other 1L despises him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been awhile, but I'm planning to finish this fic this month finally.

Sonny gave his all to every class. He poured over his textbooks and took detailed notes. During lecture, his scribbling was only interrupted by raising his hand. He was thoroughly prepared any time a professor called his name, but he also liked to speak as much as he could unprompted.

He especially tried to speak up more than Arielle would. He also made a point to offer better points than she did. He needed to show her that he deserved to be here as much as she did. He definitely outmatched her new fiancé Warner, who barely spoke at all in class. If Sonny didn’t know better, he would think that Warner was just there as arm candy for Arielle. But who pays for Harvard tuition just to look pretty?

Certainly not Sonny. He spent his every waking hour tucked into a book. His social life was nonexistent. Sonny looked forward to spreading out his books on the desk and getting to work updating his outlines as he left class on a Thursday afternoon.

"You studying alone?"

He looked over his shoulder. The question came from one of the few classmates who would still speak to him: Enid. She reminded Sonny a little of his former captain in the NYPD. She was tough, but fair. It didn’t hurt that he was acquainted with one of the few out LGBT students at Harvard Law.

"Yeah," Sonny sighed in response.

“I’m amazed you’re surviving all on your own. I would invite you to our group but…”

His plan to show up Arielle was working, but maybe it was working a little too well. If she had disliked him before, she definitely despised him now. Arielle had made it her personal mission to keep Sonny out of every existing study group. He had no idea what she had said to all of their classmates, but it was enough for all of them to turn him down.

Sonny was only so knowledgeable on every aspect of the material because he had to cover every bit of it from scratch himself. It was exhausting and lonely. He spoke up so much in class because that was one of the few times he could discuss the material with someone who would understand what he was talking about. It was a relief for him. He wouldn’t give it up — no matter how much his classmates disliked him.

He nodded to Enid. “Yeah. I know. I get it. It’s okay.”

"You're a rockstar. Keep it up."

Sonny chuckled and waved as she walked past. "Thanks."

He retreated to his private sanctuary after that. Sonny had found a secluded corner in the law library that he got to keep all to himself. It was a small desk tucked away behind a corner of stacks. No one could spot him unless they entered from the back of the library for some reason.

The desk was a little dusty when he had first discovered it, but that was only a plus. It was highly unlikely that anyone would be sitting there any time he wanted to study. It was essentially reserved just for him 24/7. It was just the space he needed, especially since he had to study alone.

 

* * *

 

Callahan seemed mildly impressed when Sonny raised his hand for the fourth time that lecture. Sonny took it as a win. He knew he was annoying to the other students. He heard the whispers of them calling him a gunner. In most classes, he would take offense to that.

But in Criminal Law, he would take the title. He kinda was. He couldn't help that he was, in all probability, the person with the most experience in this field — aside from Callahan.

“Sonny?” Callahan said, leaning against his desk.

“Well, I just wanted to say that as a detective, I dealt with a case kinda similar to this.”

His eyebrows went up, curious and interested. Sonny tried not to grin too widely. He wouldn’t hide that he was working hard to get Callahan’s approval and respect. Almost everyone in that class was. They were all competing for the highly coveted internship spots at Callahan’s firm. The internships weren’t available to 1Ls, but it was never too early to start impressing the professor.

“Oh really?” Callahan asked. “And how did you handle it?”

“Honestly? Not well,” he laughed lightly. “It was one of my first cases as a detective. But looking back, I probably would have done what the cop in this case did. When you’re in an interrogation situation, especially when there’s the high pressure of a kidnapping, you kinda are predisposed to do whatever you can do to get that information. Saving the life in that moment is more important than worrying about what the evidence will look like on appeal.”

“Thank you for sharing that perspective. It was…enlightening. But can you tell me what you would do if this were your client’s case?”

A few chuckles echoed from the classmates around him. Probably they were happy to see Sonny caught off guard. Too bad they were dead wrong.

“That’s easy. I wouldn’t do anything for this client because I would never take this case.”

“And why is that?"

“Because he’s guilty.”

A louder chorus of laughter erupted from the class. He picked up on Arielle’s specifically. He even caught her eye roll in his peripheral vision.

Callahan laughed a little too. “I appreciate your idealism, but as a defense attorney, you won’t often get the chance to choose who you’re representing. You have to pay the bills somehow.”

But Sonny didn’t feel like giving up. “No, that’s not what I meant. If I do practice law, I want to be a prosecutor.”

He nodded. “A noble choice. You’ll just have to figure out how you’ll be paying back your student loans.”

Another eruption of chuckles and snickers. Sonny ignored them. They all had it against him anyway. It was his life. He would choose to do whatever he damn well pleased.

Sonny, as usual, was one of the last few students to trickle out of the classroom. He habitually opened up everything that could possibly be relevant on his desk so he could have it all at quick reference. It usually took him a good two or three minutes to pack it all away again.

As he walked toward the door, Callahan called his name. “Sonny.”

He turned and faced his professor. “Yeah?”

“Good job in class today. I think it’s valuable to the other students to hear the perspective of law enforcement.”

Sonny nodded. “So they know what they’ll be up against?”

He chuckled. “Yes. Exactly. But your legal analysis is always on point as well. Have you considered applying for my internship?”

And suddenly Sonny forgot how to speak the English language. “I-uh, um. Somewhat.”

He smiled. “I hope you apply. I think you have a good fighting chance.”

Sonny swallowed. That was as good an endorsement as any. If Callahan was looking out for his name in the applications, he was even more likely to get it. He tried very hard not to freak out too much. He could celebrate properly later.

“I-Wow. Thank you. Thanks so much.”

His smile spread wider and he nodded again. “Keep up the good work.”

“You bet,” he replied and then walked out of the classroom.

 

* * *

 

Later that week, Sonny finally got a break in his social life and from the least expected source. During lunch, he overheard Arielle talking with a few of the other women in their class.

“Oh my God. It’s going to be so much fun.”

Another woman laughed. “Yeah, sure. I don’t know about that.”

“It’ll at least be a break from lecture, studying, lecture, stud-”

“I get it. That’s fine. I’m just not a big party person.”

Sonny’s ears perked up.

“A party?” He blurted without thinking.

The trio of women all paused and turned toward him. “Uh, yeah…”

Arielle chimed in. “Yeah it’s a party, but it’s a costume party so I doubt you’ll want to go.”

That was a dare if he ever heard one. “No, that’s okay. I actually really like costume parties.”

“You do?” She seemed genuinely surprised.

“Yeah. You know me.”

“I suppose,” she paused. “Okay. Well, it’s at nine Friday.”

“I’ll be there,” he beamed.

“Great!” She said a little too cheerfully.

Sonny nodded and smiled as they walked away. He pretended not to hear one of the other women comment on how gorgeous he was. He knew he looked good. He knew most of his class hated him. And he knew this party would be a chance to fix his currently lonely social situation.

 

* * *

 

Sonny just didn’t anticipate that Arielle actually, legitimately, and completely loathed his existence.

He showed up at the party right at 9 p.m. just as he was told. Only it wasn’t a costume party at all. The dress code was simply casual. Which only meant he and his costume had stuck out like an aching sore thumb.

Arielle must have already had a few drinks before he arrived because she did a full on spit take when she saw him. Practically almost everyone else he walked past did the same.

He had picked out his costume as a joke. A sexy lumberjack. He only wore a loose flannel shirt and tight booty shorts. He hoped some self-depreciation would endear him in the eyes of his classmates. After the dress code reveal, it only made matters worse.

Sonny badly wanted to stick it out and show Arielle up, but he had the feeling it would make more people uncomfortable than necessary. So after a few choice words to Arielle, he left.

He had plans to head back to this room and crack open his books. Anything to get his mind away from that incredibly embarrassing situation. Then he remembered he was out of paper.

With a huge sigh, he headed to the nearest office supply store. It was a Friday night. It was unlikely anyone there would recognize him anyway.

And that was how he needed up standing alone in line, shivering slightly against the October chill, in booty shorts with an armful of legal pads. But it was fine. No one there knew him.

“Hi there.”

Sonny practically jumped. He recognized that voice. And it was his worst fears confirmed. He turned to find the mysterious man who had helped him on his first day of classes standing behind him. Unlike Sonny, he was wearing a thick coat and a scarf. He tried not to feel too jealous. It was his own fault he was in this situation.

Sonny did his best to hide his blush as the man smirked at him. God, he was still handsome.

Sonny sighed. “Please don’t ask.”

“Aren’t you cold?”

“Didn’t I say _not_ to ask?”

“You could be cited for public indecency, you know.”

“Haven’t you heard, Counselor? It’s Halloween.”

“Yeah. Next week.”

He shrugged. “Well, I decided to celebrate a little early.”

“Really doing Staten Island proud, huh?”

That was something new. He was a New Yorker. Most people outside of the city assumed he was from New Jersey based on his accent. People inside the city recognized his accent for what it was.

The information he knew about this man was small. He was a practicing lawyer. He lived in New York, or at least was from the city. And he had graduated from Harvard Law. Impressive. Now he just had to find out if he worked in criminal law. Sonny might have a good opportunity to shadow and get advice. If he was willing to look past this little incident.

“Yeah,” he replied to the man. “I _really_ hope my ma doesn’t hear about this.”

He smirked. “Oh well, _my_ mother will be hearing everything about this. She always wants to get the hot gossip when I visit Cambridge.”

Sonny rolled his eyes. “I doubt you even call your mother on a regular basis.”

“So quick to judge.”

“Nah. I’m a detective. I’m good at reading people.”

“What’s a detective doing in law school?”

“Furthering my education. What else?”

The man shook his head. But his smile was less of a smirk and more genuine instead. Sonny couldn’t read it. Was he making fun of him? Did he like what he saw? Seemed maybe a bit of both.

Sonny half-jogged up to the register as the line moved and quickly checked out. He ducked out of the store before the mysterious handsome man could make another comment.

 

* * *

 

Sonny did not expect to see the man again so soon. The next day, he appeared in his criminal law class as a guest lecturer.

His cheeks heated up without his permission. It only got worse when the man found Sonny in the crowd and aimed a smirk at him. Bastard. He knew this was coming.

“Alright everyone,” Callahan addressed the class. “We have a little different of a lecture today. Because of my background, this class focuses on defending your client in the criminal justice system. Today, we’ll hear from the other side — well, from someone who isn’t Sonny,” he teased.

The class laughed in response. Sonny sunk lower in his seat. Being the gunner was one thing, but having the mysterious man he had a crush on knowing it was another thing entirely. Still, the man seemed impressed as he chuckled along.

“Okay then,” Callahan continued. “I expect you all to behave as we welcome Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney Rafael Barba.”

Sonny couldn’t stop his jaw from dropping. The mysterious man he had been semi-casually flirting with was an ADA. In Brooklyn. He was the best professional contact he had and he had seen him in booty shorts. Sonny just wanted to sink to the floor and melt away.

But aside from that knowing smirk at the beginning of the lecture, Barba didn’t make Sonny into a spectacle or even pay all that much attention to him. For most of the class, Sonny was almost invisible. For once, he felt like he blended in with his classmates.

Sonny’s nerves and embarrassment didn’t calm though. He was so nervous that he only raised his hand once and even then he put it down when another classmate asked a similar question before him. He was completely thrown off his game. All because of a man wearing a beautiful lavender tie.

Sonny was still a straggler when class dismissed. He had laid out all of his relevant materials and had his notebook out the entire lecture. Even if this material wasn’t technically part of the curriculum, it was still a good learning experience. He was probably one of the few people in class who actually _wanted_  to be a prosecutor. He needed all the information he could get. A perk of taking notes was that he had a solid excuse not to look Barba in the eye.

Sonny was so focused on packing up his things that he completely forgot anyone else was in the classroom aside from him.

He jumped when Barba’s voice floated up to him in the lecture hall. “You take a lot of notes.”

Sonny chuckled and quickly shoved his textbooks into his bag. “I, uh, yeah. Gotta remember everything.”

Callahan smiles affectionately. “He’s being humble. Sonny’s one of my best students.”

Sonny smiled, feeling his cheeks warm again. He had never heard Callahan phrase it that way before. It felt amazing to hear.

He shrugged. “I do my best. Besides, Mr. Barba, you’re kinda legend. I want to learn as much from you as possible.”

Barba seemed surprised at that. Sonny thought he was being humble too. “A legend? How?”

“Are you kidding? Every SVU detective across the five boroughs talks about how you put those johns away for raping a prostitute.”

Barba preened at that, but it didn’t show in his tone. “I was lucky the jury saw it my way.”

“Your closing on that case was fantastic. I hope I get to write a closing half as good as that.”

He hesitated to answer. If Sonny didn’t know better, he would say a slight blush was blooming on his cheeks.

Callahan chuckled. “Well, you’ve been doing some extracurricular reading. Tell me. If he’s a legend, what am I?”

Sonny smiled and shook his head. “Nah. You’re a legend too in your own way. Sorry, I’m just more predisposed to the prosecution side.”

He nodded. “I’m aware. I’m glad you got something out of today’s lecture.”

“I did.” He turned to Barba. “Thank you for coming.”

He smirked. “Wouldn’t miss a chance to come down to Cambridge.”

Barba offered his hand. Sonny accepted the handshake. He felt the ghost of his firm grip for the rest of the day.

 

* * *

 

Sonny headed to the library after lecture like he always did. He settled into his little sanctuary and started to unpack.

He was startled when the back door opened. Almost no one took that entrance.

“Hey Sonny,” Enid greeted with a smile.

“Uh, hi,” Sonny replied.

She didn’t hesitate. She sat at the always-empty desk behind him. “I’m joining you.”

“…Okay?” He didn’t really know how to respond.

“You’ve suffered enough by yourself. Here’s my outline for Torts.” She plopped a stapled packet on his desk.

“Thanks.”

She sighed. “If you’d rather I not be here, then okay. But I figured this is the least I could do after that party.”

“Yeah,” Sonny winced. “It’s okay though. You don’t have to do this.”

She shook her head. “I want to. I should have done this a long time ago.”

He smiled. “Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me. Also, I saw you checking out Barba.”

“What?” His face was suddenly burning hot. “No. I wasn’t.”

“Relax.” She placed a warm hand on his shoulder. “I’m here for you. Queer solidarity. Even if you have the worst ex in the entire class.”

Sonny chuckled. “Thanks, I guess.”

“Okay. So, what did you think about this week’s readings? Brutal, right?”

“Yeah,” he laughed. “They always are.”

Sonny felt some of his stress fade away as he talked over the lectures with Enid. It was nice to finally have someone to bounce ideas off of and help fill in the gaps he was missing. He still felt like he was treading in high water, but he wasn’t alone anymore. That was something.


End file.
